Bill Gates backs climate geoengineering

A small group of leading climate scientists, financially supported by billionaires including Bill Gates(external - login to view), are lobbying governments and international bodies to back experiments into manipulating the climate on a global scale to avoid catastrophic climate change(external - login to view).

The scientists, who advocate geoengineering(external - login to view) methods such as spraying millions of tonnes of reflective particles of sulphur dioxide 30 miles above earth, argue that a "plan B" for climate change will be needed if the UN and politicians cannot agree to making the necessary cuts in greenhouse gases, and say the US government and others should pay for a major programme of international research.

Solar geoengineering techniques are highly controversial: while some climate scientists believe they may prove a quick and relatively cheap way to slow global warming, others fear that when conducted in the upper atmosphere, they could irrevocably alter rainfall patterns and interfere with the earth's climate.

Geoengineering is opposed by many environmentalists, who say the technology could undermine efforts to reduce emissions, and by developing countries who fear it could be used as a weapon or by rich countries to their advantage. In 2010, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity declared a moratorium(external - login to view) on experiments in the sea and space, except for small-scale scientific studies(external - login to view).

Concern is now growing that the small but influential group of scientists, and their backers, may have a disproportionate effect on major decisions about geoengineering research and policy.

"We will need to protect ourselves from vested interests [and] be sure that choices are not influenced by parties who might make significant amounts of money through a choice to modify climate, especially using proprietary intellectual property," said Jane Long, director at large for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the US, in a paper delivered to a recent geoengineering conference on ethics.

"The stakes are very high and scientists are not the best people to deal with the social, ethical or political issues that geoengineering raises," said Doug Parr, chief scientist at Greenpeace. "The idea that a self-selected group should have so much influence is bizarre."

Pressure to find a quick technological fix to climate change is growing as politicians fail to reach an agreement to significantly reduce emissions. In 2009-2010, the US government received requests for over $2bn(£1.2bn) of grants for geoengineering research, but spent around $100m.

As well as Gates, other wealthy individuals including Sir Richard Branson(external - login to view), tar sands magnate Murray Edwards(external - login to view) and the co-founder of Skype, Niklas Zennström, have funded a series of official reports into future use of the technology. Branson, who has frequently called for geoengineering to combat climate change, helped fund the Royal Society's inquiry into solar radiation management last year through his Carbon War Room(external - login to view) charity. It is not known how much he contributed.

Professors David Keith(external - login to view), of Harvard University, and Ken Caldeira(external - login to view) of Stanford, are the world's two leading advocates of major research into geoengineering the upper atmosphere to provide earth with a reflective shield. They have so far received over $4.6m from Gates to run the Fund for Innovative Climate and Energy Research(external - login to view) (Ficer). Nearly half Ficer's money, which comes directly from Gates's personal funds, has so far been used for their own research, but the rest is disbursed by them to fund the work of other advocates of large-scale interventions.

According to statements of financial interests, Keith receives an undisclosed sum from Bill Gates(external - login to view) each year, and is the president and majority owner of the geoengineering company Carbon Engineering(external - login to view), in which both Gates and Edwards have major stakes – believed to be together worth over $10m.

Another Edwards company, Canadian Natural Resources, has plans to spend $25bn to turn the bitumen-bearing sand found in northern Alberta into barrels of crude oil. Caldeira says he receives $375,000 a year from Gates, holds a carbon capture patent and works for Intellectual Ventures(external - login to view), a private geoegineering research company part-owned by Gates and run by Nathan Myhrvold, former head of technology at Microsoft.

According to the latest Ficer accounts, the two scientists have so far given $300,000 of Gates money to part-fund three prominent reviews and assessments of geoengineering – the UK Royal Society report on Solar Radiation Management(external - login to view), the US Taskforce on Geoengineering(external - login to view) and a 2009 report by Novin(external - login to view) a science thinktank based in Santa Barbara, California. Keith and Caldeira either sat on the panels that produced the reports or contributed evidence. All three reports strongly recommended more research into solar radiation management.

Rasch gave evidence at the first Royal Society report on geoengineering 2009(external - login to view) and was a panel member on the 2011 report. He has testified to the US Congress about the need for government funding of large-scale geoengineering and, according to a financial statement he gave the Royal Society, also works for Intellectual Ventures. In addition, Caldeira and Keith gave a further $240,000 to geoengineering advocates to travel and attend workshops and meetings and $100,000 to Jay Apt, a prominent advocate of geoengineering as a last resort, and professor of engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. Apt worked with Keith and Aurora Flight Sciences(external - login to view), a US company that develops drone aircraft technology for the US military, to study the costs of sending 1m tonnes of sulphate particles(external - login to view) into the upper atmosphere a year.

Analysis of the eight major national and international inquiries into geoengineering over the past three years shows that Keith and Caldeira, Rasch and Prof Granger Morgan(external - login to view) the head of department of engineering and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University where Keith works, have sat on seven panels, including one set up by the UN. Three other strong advocates of solar radiation geoengineering, including Rasch, have sat on national inquiries part-funded by Ficer.

"There are clear conflicts of interest between many of the people involved in the debate," said Diana Bronson, a researcher with Montreal-based geoengineering watchdog ETC.

"What is really worrying is that the same small group working on high-risk technologies that will geoengineer the planet is also trying to engineer the discussion around international rules and regulations. We cannot put the fox in charge of the chicken coop."

"The eco-clique are lobbying for a huge injection of public funds into geoengineering research. They dominate virtually every inquiry into geoengineering. They are present in almost all of the expert deliberations. They have been the leading advisers to parliamentary and congressional inquiries and their views will, in all likelihood, dominate the deliberations of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as it grapples for the first time with the scientific and ethical tangle that is climate engineering," said Clive Hamilton, professor of Public Ethics at the Australian National University, in a Guardian blog.

The scientists involved reject this notion. "Even the perception that [a small group of people has] illegitimate influence [is] very unhealthy for a technology which has extreme power over the world. The concerns that a small group [is] dominating the debate are legitimate, but things are not as they were," said Keith. "It's changing as countries like India and China become involved. The era when my voice or that of a few was dominant is over. We need a very broad debate."

"Every scientist has some conflict of interest, because we would all like to see more resources going to study things that we find interesting," said Caldeira. "Do I have too much influence? I feel like I have too little. I have been calling for making CO2 emissions illegal for many years, but no one is listening to me. People who disagree with me might feel I have too much influence. The best way to reduce my influence is to have more public research funds available, so that our funds are in the noise. If the federal government played the role it should in this area, there would be no need for money from Gates.

"Regarding my own patents, I have repeatedly stated that if any patent that I am on is ever used for the purposes of altering climate, then any proceeds that accrue to me for this use will be donated to nonprofit NGOs and charities. I have no expectation or interest in developing a personal revenue stream based upon the use of these patents for climate modification.".

Rasch added: "I don't feel there is any conflict of interest. I don't lobby, work with patents or intellectual property, do classified research or work with for-profit companies. The research I do on geoengineering involves computer simulations and thinking about possible consequences. The Ficer foundation that has funded my research tries to be transparent in their activities, as do I."

Re: Bill Gates backs climate geoengineering

Re: Bill Gates backs climate geoengineering

This sounds like a fool proof plan. Can't see what could possibly go wrong.

Walter

-1

#4

Re: Bill Gates backs climate geoengineering

Feb 6th, 2012

Quote: Originally Posted by IdRatherBeSkiing

This sounds like a fool proof plan. Can't see what could possibly go wrong.

I love your sarcasm.

Mowich

#5

Re: Bill Gates backs climate geoengineering

Feb 6th, 2012

Good grief............yet another example of the complete hubris of mankind. Our understanding of the complex nature of Earth's systems is as yet sorely lacking and any attempt to tinker with Mother Nature will be, IMHO, not only foolhardy but to our detriment.

mentalfloss

#6

Re: Bill Gates backs climate geoengineering

Feb 6th, 2012

Something like this has such adverse consequences that it should only really be used in the utmost last resort.

DurkaDurka

+1 / -1

#7 Top Rated Post

Re: Bill Gates backs climate geoengineering

Feb 6th, 2012

Quote: Originally Posted by Walter

Bloody Liberals think they can control the weather.

Also one of the most successful capitalists around, Walter. What are you, a facking commie?

mentalfloss

#8

Re: Bill Gates backs climate geoengineering

Feb 6th, 2012

Quote: Originally Posted by DurkaDurka

Also one of the most successful capitalists around, Walter. What are, a facking commie?

It's true that they are actually getting second highest donations even though they're in a distant third, seat-wise.

Walter needs to take off ze goggles.

Walter

#9

Re: Bill Gates backs climate geoengineering

Feb 6th, 2012

Quote: Originally Posted by DurkaDurka

Also one of the most successful capitalists around, Walter. What are you, a facking commie?

Everyone knows they'll end up using tax $ to do such a stupid thing.

L Gilbert

#10

Re: Bill Gates backs climate geoengineering

A small group of leading climate scientists, financially supported by billionaires including Bill Gates(external - login to view), are lobbying governments and international bodies to back experiments into manipulating the climate on a global scale to avoid catastrophic climate change(external - login to view).

Jeeezez. Freakin near every time people start messing with our natural world, they screw up more than they fix.